Multiple-row corn picking machine



Feb. 16, 1932. c. F. HUFFMAN 1 1,845,276

MULTIPLE ROW lCORN PICKING MACHINE Filed Jan. "f,v 1929 I j* @U/ef @Wfl/92H12? Z/zgesf y fg M, 3a/mw V300/AAM @EUMAWM Patented Febal, 1932 Tes 'PATENT' oFF-1c E CHARLES r. HUFFMAN, orwnns'rnn CITY, :town`r MULTIPLE-now conn rIcxrNG in licririml Application inea yJanuary 7, 1929. 'serieu No. 330,947.

The object of this invention is to provide an improved. construction for a corn picking machine having a plurality Lof picking units,

A such units being arranged in a peculiar rel 5 lation to 'each other to facilitate the operation of the machine by preventingclogging or other interference with its advance through a field. I f

Aurther object of the invention is to provide an improved multiple-row corn picking machine in which one` unit is arranged fortravel in advance Vof another in'such manner that the units do not operate ondirectly op*- posed corn hills and thereby interference vfully set fort-l1, pointed out in my claim,"and

illustrated in the accompanying drawings,

inwhich:

Figure 1 is a plan view of Aa'two-rowAcorn picker embodying my improvement. A Y y Figure 2 is a side elevation of the same. Figure 3 is a cross section on the line 3f-3 of Figure 2.

picking machines it has been customary to employva plurality, usually two, of picking units arranged in transverse alignment to each other so that they operate simultaneously on hills of corn stalks arranged' in the same line transversely or at right angles to the path of advance of the machine. l

In the operation ot such machines, diiii culty has been encountered from time to time, particularly in elds where the corn is in more or less down condition, such dii'hculty being due to the fact that stalks of opposite hills become crossed vand entangled and when they are engaged by the picking devices an undue strain is imposed, which often results in clogging of the machine. l

Under such conditions, it is often necessary or the picking devices to break oil or pull out the stalks so entangled and thus, a double strain is imposed which often results ln'- the construction of -multiple-row corn -instopping themvachine.A That` isto say, in orderV 'for they machine to be able to pass by :the entangled talks it is necessary to break o or pull out thestalks of two or more hills at 4a time; or. the machine is'cloggedby an accumulation of broken stalks'between-the two units-' Y Furthermordx-m the use of a machine involvin'g two or more transversely aligned picking`units,there isa tendency for trash,

weeds, vines,` sun-flower ystalks and the like fto kpile up between the units and clog the machineso that it is'prevented from proper operation or. even Vcausedto cease traveling. indeed, wherethe `ground of a fieldis very looseandbroken, ann accumulation of earth between the units will often be ksuflicient to lprevent satisfactory operation.

Y fly presentinventioncontemplates an arrangementlof two orfmorel pickingN units 1n staggered relation, wherebyV the. difficulties and obstacles above Venumerated are overcome and the operationlofthemultiple unit picker 'is facilitated and made successful.

i In'the accompanying drawings, I have illustrated more'vor less conventionally, a corn picking machine having a frame 10 supported by wheels llgand 12 on an aXle 13 Vand [carrying pair of'picking units of common fornnwhich'ljhave designated as A and B. p Each of the pickingvunits A and TB includesamong other things, a pair of divider chains 19 arrangedforengaging stalks of corn andV guiding them to the snapping rolls. l The essence of? this invention consists in placing one of the picking units such as A materially in advanceof another unit such as B. In otheruwords, the picking units are not kplaced directly side by side or in transverse alignment,butare set in staggered relation,

bothtransversely Vand longitudinally of the boardsY 15 and 16 having between them, a pair of snapping rolls 17 and 18 and gathering and it is to be understood that in case more thantwo units areemployed, they will all y'be arranged inalsimilar relation to what is here shown, namely with each unit set to one side and rearwardly of the neXt unit adjacent thereto toward the draft line.

VBecause of the arrangement of picking units as here shown and described, it is ob-` units, and the space betweenv them is'clear and unobstructed back as far as the line of the supporting wheels of the machine.

This arrangement prevents clogging and undue interference with the successful oper ation ofthe machine under conditions which are hereinbefore described. p

- It is obviousthat because ofthe staggered or steppedv relation of the picking units the vforemost unit encounters its corn stalks first and operates upon them and gets them out of the way before the adjacent unitfbegins its work on the stalksorhills directly opposite.

Inasmuch as stalks of cornordinarily are entangled or crossed only with those which are directly or nearly opposite to them, itis obvious that by this arrangement of units, adjacent picking units will not be caused to engage simultaneously with.l entangled, crossed and entwined stalks. Y

VIn other words, the units will `not be compelled to pull or strain simultaneously on both of two.; entangled j'corn hills and any strain which i'simposed because of entangle- .ments will be distributed and spaced with respect tothe two units.

This prevents clogging lof the machine and permits its steady advance over Ia field even in cases where the cornfis in badly down or in entangledv condition. f

to the shaft 21 and operatively connected therewith by bevel gearing 23.V The counter shaft 20 extends across the rear end of the picking unit A and is adapted to drive the snapping rolls 17 and 18 thereof.

At its outer end the shaft 22 is connected by bevel gearing 24 with a longitudinally arranged vshaft 25 journaled on the frame. The shaft 25 is connected by bevel gearing 26 with a second counter shaft 27 which eX- tends across the vrear end of the picking unit B and is adaptedto drive the snapping rolls `17 and- 18 thereof.- It is to be understood, however, that any suitable driving connections for the snapping rolls may be employed without departing from my invention.V Y

Arranged at one side of the unit A is a fconveyorr28 and .at one side of the unit B a conveyor 329. The conveyorV carries snapped ears directly from the snapping rolls AoftheunitAy to a huskingibed 8O on the fra-'me behind the unit andthe conveyor l29 carries snapped ears directly'fromthe snapping rolls ofthe unit B-to a husking bed Sl'on the frame behind the unit B.

husked ears are discharged to a boot 32,:fro'm which they are takenby elevator and transferred to a wagon or other suitable con? lvoyance 'or receptacle in a common manner.-

I/ claim as my invention-z y l A corn picking machine having Ja plurality of picking units, said lunits being arranged progressively lone vin advancey of -the neXt adjacent unit, from the center line o'fthe inachine outwardly, all connecting members between eachV pair of adjacent units beingv vl'ocatedre'arwardly `o'f the 'rearmo'st'unit o the pair,'to lprevent'the accumulation of 'trash and the like between the units and' to 'reduce DI y strain on the units byv Vcausing them to engage at 'diifereiit times with' ytransversely opposed 'stalks `which :may have' become "crossed or entangled. v

Des Moines, Iowa, December 115, 1928.

Fromthe hu'slangbeas' so and 31 'the' CHARLES HU'FFMAN.

vFurthermore,vi n view of the inclined or diagonal arrangement of the forward ends 50 .between the units is open vand clear, there ofthe picking unit-s, and because the space will be no tendency to accumulate loose earth, trash,- weeds or vines between the units.

Another advantage whichl results from this relation of parts is a saving of time and labor and a saving of corn, inasmuch as there is no interference of adjacent picking units, which would break the stalks andy lmock 'ears of corn from their stalks.

Theframe 10 also carries the usual driving shaft 21 and the snapping rolls 17 of the respective picking units may be 'operated from this shaft in any desired manner. In the accompanying drawings, I have shown a counter shaft 22 arranged at right angles 

